Earlier this week, The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) published an open letter to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) asking the government organization to stop its affiliation with The Coca Cola Company. From CSPI’s press release:

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute should not partner with Coca-Cola to raise awareness of heart disease among women…overweight and obesity are prime risk factors for heart disease, and the agency shouldn’t be bolstering the dismal reputation of the Coca-Cola Company, the world’s biggest manufacturer of obesigenic soft drinks

…Supermodel Heidi Klum is described on the government web site as the “Diet Coke heart health ambassador.”

…”Coke has long sought to affiliate with or co-opt health groups, and associate its brand with athletes and models. I fervently hope that NHLBI officials understand that letting Coke bask in their agency’s good reputation does American hearts far more harm than good.” read more…

What you need to know:

This is not the first nor last sponsorship of health organizations by the Coca Cola company. Just a few months ago we wrote about the $600,000 contribution to the American Association of Family Physicians, to be used “to  educate consumers about the role their products can play in a healthy, active lifestyle.” Yeah, right.

If you’re thinking, this is OK, Diet Coke does not contribute to obesity and heart disease, you may want to reconsider:

1. Our body gets confused by artificial sweeteners that may actually promote weight gain.
2. We’re “Infantilizing” our taste sense and as a result natural sweets like fruit aren’t as appetizing.
3. The long term health effects of artificial sweeteners are unclear.

While Coke is just one example, what we’re seeing is a generally accepted norm. Non-profit organizations, and even government bodies, have to accept money from the very corporations that contribute to the maladies they are trying to prevent. Crazy no?

You may argue and say that unlike cigarettes, no one food can kill you, and what about fun factor. Sure thing, but a company that deals in good vibes and lifestyle should stick to sponsoring music events and beach parties, not health and diet related associations.

Consider that even this country’s ultimate food and nutrition advisor – the American Dietetic Association – is sponsored by the likes of Coke and Mars. When I asked dietitians about this, some were agnostic while others pragmatically explained that there is no other way to fund research and educational activities that will ultimately benefit consumers.

Such is the state of affairs in America,  2010.

What to do at the supermarket:

It’s hard to quantify the compound effect of all these sponsorships, but you certainly can do your share to show you know better. Ignore the marketing messages on cans and boxes. Stick to the nutrition facts panel and ingredient lists of products you are considering. And specifically referring to soft drinks, whether sugary or non-caloric, did you know that you can save $500 for a family of four, just by switching to tap water?

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Respect.

Not the first word that comes to mind when we think about food. Hunger, guilt, diet, and calories are more common thoughts that pass our collective American mind when we contemplate what goes through our mouth three or more times a day.

But respect for food, meals, and mealtimes is crucially missing from our modern and instant culture. A fast food culture. Fast preparation, fast consumption, always on the go.  Eating has become a quick, and often times guilty pleasure, met almost immediately post consumption with feelings of remorse – from the heartburn 30 minutes after a combo-burger meal, to the needle on the scale in the bathroom the next morning. Not to mention a warning from the doctor during periodic checkups.

Now think about the holiday season that is ending. The festivity, the family get together, the joint breaking of bread at the dining room table. Culinary delights. Laughter. Joy. Togetherness. Yes, you’ve worked hard in the kitchen. But the pleasure of eating real food, perhaps with a good glass of wine or two, and the flow of conversation with real friends is … well … priceless.

Too bad this happens just a handful of times every year. Once upon a time, every evening culminated in a family dinner shared by the entire crew. Not all dinners were fancy, far from it, but they were usually fresh cooked. Parents talked with their children, and with each other. Life lessons were learned, values forged.

We’re not trying to over-romanticize here, and certainly don’t think the world needs to go back to the days where the mothers/wives “slaved away” for hours in the kitchen.

But we’ve come to the other extreme today. For many people, the kitchen is the place you visit to take the frozen food out of the freezer, unwrap it, microwave it and then consume it while watching TV or at playing at the computer. The dining room? That’s a museum. Or an “inverse” museum. Closed all year, open on Christmas Day.

There’s got to be a better balance. And that’s what we’d like to propose for 2010 and the coming decade. Let’s give food a little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

If we pay a little more respect to food, we can reclaim the pleasures of dining, of family-time, and even cooking. It’s not such a drag to cook when the entire family is working together. And with all the amenities of the modern kitchen, combined with awesome ingredients one can get from any supermarket, millions of simple recipes are at everyone’s fingertips.

If we respect food, we’ll begin to identify lots of impostors, or as Michal Pollan calls them, food-like substances. The absence of these non-foods from our lives – no longer brought into our pantry and refrigerator, no more wolved down at quick service establishments, no longer associated with us – will surely have a positive impact on our health.

Have a happy, tasty, and healthy new year.

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As we sit down to enjoy the quintessential American holiday dinner, let’s stop for a minute and contemplate what we are actually celebrating.

What started off as a harvest festival in colonial times, became an annual tradition during the civil war, and was formally observed as a federal holiday for the first time during World War 2. (Coincidence, or did people needed an extra something to celebrate during wartime?)

So what did people eat here 350 years ago?

It was all local food. Sourced from 100 miles or less. Probably much less.

The main elements of today’s meal are based on fresh local food that was available back then in the new land – the wild turkey (and other fowl), the cranberries growing in coastal bogs, the pumpkins, squash, yams, and corn.

It was also about community. The tradition of a large shared meal with family, friends, and other community members began with the first harvest festivals when the pilgrims and Native Americans sat together to celebrate together the bounty of the land.

Thanksgiving has changed form and been commercialized by big financial interests over the years, but at its core, this beautiful tradition is an ode to all that is good in this world.

– The miracle of food coming forth from the land.

– The harmony of different peoples forming a community of help and trust.

– And a minute to pause and count our blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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We’ve been hearing for years that in France the women are thinner, despite the croissants, buttery dishes and other saturated fats. A whole book entitled “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” explained that the ladies savour their food calmly, abstain from snacking, and eat small portions.

Alas, no more. Turns out that the American food McCulture has successfully rooted itself in the cradle of modern gastronomy. A recent study found that:

15.1 percent of France’s women are classed as clinically obese, while a further 26 percent are overweight.

The survey, conducted by TNS Sofres Healthcare and Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche, also pointed to similar trends among the male population, with 13.9 percent of Frenchmen obese and 38.5 percent overweight.

The researchers largely blame the modern, urban lifestyle – sedentary jobs, little physical activity, and food everywhere.  On a consolatory note, Doctor Marie-Aline Charles, one of the researchers, said that other countries, especially the United States, were faring much worse:

We’re currently seeing in France the same levels of obesity as in the United States in the 1970s, so we’re about 40 years behind.”

In the US, adult obesity levels are over 30%, and another 30% are classified overweight.

What you need to know:

It’s not just France. Japan, China, Greece, and just about every country that has industrialized its food system is marching down the same, dare we say inevitable, path to obesity. At an age where convenience trumps all, the Big Mac, Coke, and Frozen TV Dinner are creating for the first time in history, more fat people that hungry people.

By the way, the term French Paradox is linked more specifically to the low rates of coronary disease in France compared to the US. In 1991, a study attributed this to drinking red wine. Overnight, sales of red wine skyrocketed in the US. Researchers think that resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, may be the answer.

What to do at the supermarket:

You can try to reverse the trend in your family by going back in time to the day when people actually prepared and ate real food. But you’ll have to invest time and effort. Luckily there are countless resources both online and off that can help you master a few basic dishes in very little time.

Making homemade soup is a cinch, and so is a basic tomato pasta sauce. Even meat and potatoes don’t take more than 15 minutes of work once you’ve gotten the hang of it.

Buy more fruits, vegetables and staples and pull up your sleeves…

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Happy 4th of July everyone. We’d rather it be called Independence Day, because that is what we have been celebrating for the past 200 years, not a date 7/04.

As we head to cookouts, picnics, bar-b-ques and other food related festivities, we should consider ourselves the luckiest people in the world. Democracy is not the default state of rule in many places around the world. Many countries are art war, some with neighbors, some with themselves. Our nation’s wealth has enabled many of us to lead very comfortable lives, beyond comprehension to many of the world’s denizens, who survive on but a few dollars a day.

Is it any wonder that the number one country people dream of immigrating to is the United States of America?

But we shouldn’t rest on our laurels. Our country isn’t perfect, and neither are we. Although we live in a free country, our choices are often limited. Without even thinking about it, we are steered in ways that are hard for us to resist. Say What?

We’ll take food as an example (surprising, heh?)

1. If you want to eat healthfully at a rest stop along an interstate highway, you can’t, because it’s all fast food. How much of a difference is there between Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut? They’re all different flavors of obesity-to-arrive-soon and heart-disease-right-after. And they all serve either Coke or Pepsi.

2. How free are families to choose the food they put on the table? With supermarkets stocking 45,000 items, most people would say very free. But a close look reveals that in each aisle there are a few dominant companies, or a few dominant types of food. In breakfast cereals, most of the 400+ boxes are manufactured by just a handful of corporations (General Mills, Quaker, Kellogg’s). Sure, you could buy that healthier brand but

a) it costs 30% more,

b) your kids won’t eat it because there’s no superhero endorsement on the package.

3. You’re at the ballpark, 4th inning, getting hungry. What about some food and drinks? No problem. That is if food=hot dogs, drinks=Coke or Pepsi. If you want to choose freshly squeezed juice, you can’t. A salad? Who are you kidding.

OK, these are just a few example of the limited choices we have.

Limited, unless we decide to swim against the current. We urge you to try, just so you can feel what it’s like to be truly independent. And if enough of us swim against the current, soon the current will follow us. (And that’s what makes this country great).

God bless America!

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